Passing the Torch
by Robert Teague
Summary: Four years after the series, the BFFL have graduated and are starting life as adults. Even as they make plans for the future, an old enemy lurks in the background, eager for revenge.
1. Chapter 1

Passing the Torch

by Robert Teague

This story is written solely for the entertainment of Trollz fans, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story may be reproduced, provided no changes are made, and you let me know.

Author's Note: There is a lot of story potential in this cartoon, and to that end I have been recreating maps, posters, and books from the series to add to the background and help writers with continuity. Much of it has been uploaded to my deviantART account, under the name "Penumbrus". In addition, I've started the forum "Trolz Writers Resources" which is part of it.

Chapter One

The BFFL, that is, Best Friends For Life: Ruby Trollman, Amethyst van der Troll, Sapphire Trollzawa, Topaz Trollhopper, and Onyx von Trollenberg, had been friends since they were very small. When they were fourteen they got their magic, and that had been a busy year.

During an experiment casting a spell together they accidentally released an old danger to the troll world, and discovered that together they formed a group able to wield the Magic of the Five. They had become apprentices to the Ancients who were the last such group: Obsidian, Mr. Trollheimer, Amethyst's grandmother, Zirconia and Spinell, who were married.

This danger was the gremlin Simon and his henchman, a swamp mutt named Snarf. The pair looked like the proverbial 'boy and his dog', but they were dangerous, ruthless, vindictive, and totally evil.

Simon had been responsible for the destruction of the troll city in what was now the Haunted Woodz. The Ancients had defeated him and banished him to the shadow realm some three thousand years earlier, but over time the spell grew weak and was broken accidentally by the BFFL.

Simon's schemes to escape the shadow realm and take all the magic he could were surprisingly subtle, and he generally succeeded in his quest to rule (and ruin) Trollzopolis. The BFFL confronted and defeated him each time. Their last encounter ended when they cast a spell sending him and Snarf away for a thousand years.

Four years had passed since the BFFL had stopped the volcano named Krakatrolla on Trollhiti from erupting and destroying the entire island. That had happened during spring break of their freshman year in high school. Now they had graduated high school and stood on the brink of adulthood.

Ruby Trollman sat behind the counter at Obsidian's Spellz in the Trollzopolis Mall reading a magazine. She was bored to tears, but her shift didn't end until the mall closed.

She glanced around at the counters and shelves, checking to see if a customer had come in. She'd been trying for years to get Obsidian to put in one of those electric eyes that rang a bell if someone came in, but the old woman refused, saying that it would break the contemplative mood a troll needed to be in when deciding what spell beads she needed.

Ruby suspected she really wanted to make sure she was paying attention. Well, it worked this time because just then her Ancient mentor and the owner of the shop, Obsidian, came downstairs.

"Ruby, I needed to tell you something," she started.

"Yes ma'am?" was the answer, the young troll-woman stood up.

Obsidian waved her to sit again, and came over behind the counter, sitting on another stool to one side with a grunt and a sigh.

"We're closing the store early today. The other Ancients will be meeting here about seven," she said. "I need you to call your friends and make sure they attend."

Ruby looked concerned. "What's going on?"

Obsidian shook her head, standing up. "It should be discussed when everyone is together. Close up at six-thirty, please."

"I'll take care of it," Ruby promised.

"And let me know if someone can't attend. I've already called the other Ancients," Obsidian added, turning to the stairs leading up to the lab where she made spell beads.

"I will," was the reply, watching as the old troll slowly made her way back up the stairs. Was it her imagination, or was Obsidian having more and more trouble moving around?

As soon as Obsidian disappeared up the stairs, a customer came in. Ruby's eyes widened. It was Coral Trollarwise, an obnoxious troll girl who had been head cheerleader when the BFFL were freshmen at Trollzopolis High School. She and her friends had caused them a lot of trouble. She had hair a lighter red than Ruby's and pink eyes.

Coral didn't notice Ruby, but instead grabbed a basket and headed over to the shelves of spell beads.

"Hi, Coral," said Ruby in a cool voice. She didn't like the other much, but there was no sense in losing a customer.

The twenty-something troll woman turned at the greeting. She was surprised to see the redhead behind the counter.

"Ruby Trollman? That you?" she asked, coming over to the counter.

"Yep, it's me," was the reply, crossing her arms.

"Wow, I haven't seen you since, like, I graduated," said Coral, putting out a hand, "Nice to meet you again!"

Ruby blinked, then slowly reached out and took it. After a brief squeeze, Coral let go.

"So, you work here now?" asked the other red-haired girl.

"Uh, yeah, since last year, actually," said Ruby.

"Really? I haven't seen you here before," said Coral, looking a bit confused.

"Just a coincidence, I guess. I have been spending more time here since I graduated, though," answered the redhead.

"Hey, that's great! Maybe you can help me, then. My little boy keeps getting a rash from something in the house, but I can't figure out what it is," said Coral, looking at the shelves behind Ruby.

"You're married and have a son now?" asked Ruby, completely surprised.

"Yeah, I married my high school sweetheart. You wouldn't know him, since he graduated two years before I did," she explained. "So, what about you?"

"I'm still going with Rock Trollhammer," answered Ruby, thinking about Coral's problem.

"Oh, yeah, that jock. I remember him. Not married, though?" asked Coral.

"Nah. I like him a lot, but there's no hurry. He's so dim sometimes it makes me want to scream," answered Ruby.

Coral laughed. "Know that feeling. I dated jocks back then too. More trouble than they're worth, sometimes."

"Um, anyway, about your problem. Could it be an allergy?" said Ruby, changing the subject.

"It might be. The doctor wasn't sure," said Coral. "It comes and goes."

"Okay, then, let's try this," said Ruby. She turned and got a glass jar off the shelf. It was filled with orange spell beads. "This is a disinfecting bead. It will do a more thorough job than most cleaners (a lot faster, too), and will affect the entire house."

"How long will it last?" asked Coral, picking one up. It was the size of a marble, and transparent.

"Oh, a month, give or take. Depends on your gem's power," said Ruby.

"That's fine. Give me a dozen, then," said Coral, putting down the basket.

Ruby put a dozen of the beads in a small paper bag. "Anything else I can help you with?"

"I... don't think so. Things are going pretty well otherwise," answered Coral. She swiped her card and Ruby finished the transaction.

Coral picked up the bag. "It's been great seeing you again, Ruby. You still have those same friends?"

"Oh, yeah," the red-eyed troll answered with a grin, "We aren't called the BFFL for nothing."

Coral actually laughed. "Must be great to have such good friends."

Ruby gave her an odd look. "What about.. what were their names? Opal and Jade?"

Coral sighed. "I don't hear from Jade very often, and not at all from Opal. We had a falling out when we started college."

"Sorry to hear that, I always thought you were pretty close," said Ruby.

Coral sighed again. "Things changed after we graduated."

Ruby's eyes grew wide. "What happened?

I d... better not say. It s kinda personal," Coral answered.

"Oh. Sorry for prying," said Ruby.

Coral looked a bit sad. "I do miss them, though. Opal was a lot of fun." She brightened. "Well, it's all in the past, anyway. I've found some new girlfriends at Trollzopolis Community College, and they're for real," said Coral with a smile. She picked up the bag. "I need to go. But if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you some more some time."

Ruby was utterly shocked. "Uh... okay, I think I'd like that too."

"Great! See ya!" said Coral, and headed out the door.

Ruby sat down. "I guess trolls really can change," she thought, and went back to her magazine. She and Topaz usually met for lunch, so she would tell her about the meeting then.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Topaz Trollhopper put her phone away and returned attention to what she had been doing; waiting for new customers here at Rock Candy Fashions.

She had been working as a sales clerk for nearly five months now, and to the surprise of her friends and, truth be told, herself, had discovered she had a knack for it. Topaz was well known for being easily confused and forgetful, but fashion was her thing, and she knew and kept up with everything. Working here also had the advantage of giving her first dibs on the new labels as they came in.

She had yet to have an unhappy customer, and that had been noticed by the management.

"Hey, Topaz?" she heard a voice call. She looked around to see her boss, the store manager, looking in her direction. She went over to her.

"Yes, ma'am?" she asked with a smile. The boss' name was Garnet, and that bothered the blond ditz just a bit. She couldn't figure out why, though. It was a nice enough name and the woman was friendly and supportive of her employees.

"Can I see you in my office?" asked Garnet.

Topaz looked thoughtful. "I guess you can, unless it's filled with smoke, or the lights are turned off."

Garnet winced internally, but didn't let Topaz see it. Topaz wasn't stupid by any means, but scatterbrained and distracted. Some of the tangents she came out with were just weird. You could never tell how she would respond to anything.

"No, I mean, come into my office," she corrected.

"Oh. Okay. There's nobody here right now, anyway," said the other, and fell in behind her boss.

In the office Garnet closed the door and sat behind her desk. Topaz stood in front, smiling in that absent way she had.

"You've been working here for five months, now, and were a steady customer for years before that. I want you to know that your good work has been noticed. Sales are actually up since we hired you, and we want to show our appreciation."

"Aw, that's okay," answered Topaz, "I've made it my mission to increase fashion awareness in Trollzopolis. Nice to know my efforts are paying off."

"And now they are paying off another way," answered Garnet. She handed Topaz an envelope.

"You- you're FIRING me?" asked Topaz, taking it and looking worried.

"sigh No, look inside," was the answer.

The blond did so, and brought out a check for a nice sum. Her eyes lit up and she grinned. "WOW! This is great!" She took out the other piece of paper, which proved to be a notice of a pay increase. "And this is greater!"

Garnet smiled. "You deserve it!"

"Thank you so much! Tee hee!" said Topaz, putting the envelope in her pocket. "Now I can get that cute outfit!"

Just then they heard the bell ring.

"I'd better go see who it is, and how I can help them," said Topaz, and quickly ran out of the room.

"You do that," said Garnet, softly, and returned to her paperwork.

bffl bffl bffl

A couple of hours later Ruby came in to meet her. They went to the bank where Topaz deposited her check and they headed for lunch at Hot Grub on a Stick. They told their stories from earlier, and Ruby congratulated her friend on the pay raise.

"I always figured you had a talent somewhere. Nice to see it's in a field you know very well," said Ruby.

"It is? I'd better go get it, then," answered Topaz, starting to gather her meal. "I don't want it to get lost. I'll be needing it."

"No, I mean you've got a job doing something you like, and it's also something you know," said Ruby with a sigh.

"Oh." Topaz giggled. "That makes more sense."

They sat and ate for a few minutes, watching the cute boys as they went by. A few stopped and spoke to them.

"So, how's Rock?" asked Topaz, finishing her fries.

"Pretty good. He's expecting to get a letter from Trollzopolis University about a football scholarship," answered the redhead with a smile. Rock WAS a blockhead, but he was good at football.

"Hey, that's great!" was the reply, "But what's he going to study?"

"I dunno. I don't think he's made a decision yet," said Ruby shrugging, "Underwater Basket Weaving, maybe."

Topaz looked confused. "They teach that?"

Ruby started to correct the blond ditz, but the other continued, thoughtfully. "Cool! Rock will learn a skill that will keep him employed after football!"

Ruby was stopped dead. She HAD been making a joke, which as usual Topaz didn't get. But what kind of connection had she made? "What do you mean?"

"Don't they put lobsters in baskets after they catch them? The baskets have to be waterproof or they'll fall apart and the poor lobsters will spill all over the boat, and be confused, and maybe pinch people! So if they made baskets under water, they would know if they were waterproof." was the answer.

That actually made a weird kind of sense. She would keep it in mind to tell Rock later.

"So, what's this meeting tonight about?" asked Topaz, coming back from dumping her trash.

Ruby shook her head. "I don't know, Obsidian wouldn't tell me. But I think all the Ancients are coming."

"Oh. How are the lessons going?" The amber-eyed blond sat back down.

They had been taking lessons on making spell beads from Obsidian for a couple of years now, and Ruby had been complimented on the efficiency and economy she had shown. Only Topaz had shown no talent at all.

"She's finally letting me invent my own beads. Said I wasn't ready until just recently," was the answer. Ruby crossed her arms and frowned. "I was SO ready! I've got some ideas that will make heads spin! Literally!"

"EWWW!" said Topaz, sitting back, "Not when I've just eaten!"

"Aw, they're just for Trolloween!" Ruby explained, "I've got an idea for an entire set of prank beads."

"Well, if they're like one that makes your head spin, then I can see why Obsidian says you weren't ready!" said Topaz, looking just a bit green. "That's just gross! And mean!"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Whatever. They'll only last a minute."

Topaz looked at her watch. "Oops, I need to get back to work. Those new clothes won't sell themselves!" She giggled.

Ruby got a gleam in her eye. "I bet they could..."

"Huh?" asked the other.

"A spell bead to make the clothes show themselves off!" said Ruby.

Topaz shook her head. "That would put me out of a job. And I like my job!"

Ruby sighed. "You just take all fun out of things."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to. I'll put it back." Topaz paused. "But I don't remember where I put it."

Ruby had gotten distracted, thinking of a bead that would make clothes show themselves off. She suddenly realized her friend was waiting for an answer. "Uh, what?"

"You said I took all the fun. Did you see where I put it?" asked Topaz.

Oh. "Don't worry about it. I need to get back too," answered the redhead with the star-shaped hairdo.

"Do the others know about the meeting?" asked Topaz.

"Not yet. I was asked to call everybody," said Ruby. As leader of the BFFL, it was her duty to make sure everyone knew about meetings.

"Okay. See ya!" said Topaz with a wave. She headed back to the clothing store.

Ruby got up and put her trash away, and headed back to Obsidian's. "I'll make some notes on that clothing display bead, and then call everyone."

When she got there, the older woman who helped out, Sardonyx, smiled. "Glad you're back. I need to get back to the bead lab; got some on the boil."

"Okay," answered Ruby, and took her place behind the counter.

The other headed up the stairs.

Since there were no customers at the moment, Ruby started making calls. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Onyx von Trollenberg sat at her desktop computer, working on her next article.

In tenth grade she had joined the school newspaper and started writing an editorial column. Some parents had noticed the biting wit and sarcasm that came so naturally to her, and kept an eye on her works.

When she graduated, she was approached by a publisher who had kept up with her, and now had a regular spot in Trollz Weekly Magazine. A collection of her poetry had also been published to mild acclaim, and a second book deal was in negotiations.

Onyx smiled to herself. The other girls would be surprised when she told them they were all the subject of it. It seemed to her that their earlier adventures were important, and people needed to know about them. She was just waiting for the approval from the publisher.

The deadline on the current article was still a month off, so she wasn't too worried about it. She got to a good spot and stopped, saving the work and closing the file. She was rather pleased with how it was progressing.

Going downstairs she made lunch. Her parents were at work, and her little brother at school, so it was just her and her pet lizard Na-Na. And she saw him on the back porch sunning himself.

As she ate, her spell phone rang. It was Ruby.

"Hey, Rubes," said Onyx, putting it down so she could see the small screen while she ate.

"Hey, Onyx. I wanted to let you know there's a meeting here at Obsidian's at seven," said her friend.

"Oh? What's going on?" asked the dark girl.

"I don't really know, but all the Ancients will be here for it, so it must be important," said Ruby.

Onyx nodded. "I'll be there."

"Great! See ya then! I gotta call the others. Bye!" the screen darkened.

Onyx smiled to herself. She hadn't seen Spinell in several weeks, and she missed the crotchety old troll. She was so much like him in personality, it was scary.

She wondered about doing a set of articles on the five Ancients and their histories. They had been busy over their long lives, traveling the world and fixing magical problems and battling a myriad of monsters and villains. Simon wasn't the only evil in the world.

A few years ago, Simon had followed them to the island of Trollhiti and attacked the still-recovering Ancients Zirconia and Spinell. The BFFL had stopped him by casting a spell that would put the goblin and his swamp mutt away for a thousand years. The spell seemed to have worked, because he hadn't been heard from since.

Suddenly she paused. When had this interest in history developed? She had originally wanted to just keep records of what they did as the Five, but that had expanded to their Ancients and from there to history. A slow progression, but it was rewarding and fascinating.

Maybe she wasn't as anti-social as she believed. On the other hand, a cynical attitude made for an objective perspective. She was just putting her personality to work. Yeah, that made sense...

Just then her phone rang again. She seriously considered letting it go to voice mail, but then changed her mind.

"Hello?" she asked, hitting the 'connect' button.

"Hi, Onyx, it's me," said the other. A female troll with shiny black hair appeared.

Onyx grinned. "Hi, Me. What's up?"

The other woman rolled her eyes. "We got in that book you ordered."

"Oh, great. I'll be by and get it later today," was the answer.

"It'll be here, so later!" responded the other, and the screen blanked.

Cleaning up after eating, Onyx brushed her teeth and did her daily meditation. When she checked the clock, there was still plenty of time to go get the book before heading for Obsidian's.

Outside she opened the garage door and climbed into her skoot. It was a much bigger and more powerful model than her first one, but still painted the same purple and black scheme she liked. It had been a present from her parents at graduation.

In design it was more like the racing skoot Mica had used. Sapphire had done some tweaking on the engine and improved the stability, which she was grateful for. She still wasn't the best driver in the world, and would take all the help she could get.

bffl bffl bffl

Taken for Granite was a bookstore in downtown Trollzopolis that Onyx had discovered a couple of years earlier. It had an entire section devoted to poetry and writing it, and an equally large section on music. Flint had come with her, and was impressed with the selection as well.

Her long-standing boyfriend was off with the band, playing a gig in Trollenburg. The small town a half-day's drive away had been restored as a historical site, but a small modern section was part of it which included a stage for various events.

It was his first out of town gig, and she really hoped it would be a success. She would really liked to be there, but such was life.

Going inside she went to the counter. The woman she had spoken to earlier was there.

"Hi, 'Me'," said Onyx with a grin. "Got something for me?"

The clerk, whose name was actually Tanzanite, gave her a sour look and grabbed a book from under the counter. "Here you go, "History of the Troll Kingdoms". It's a third edition, though." The hardback book was fairly large.

"That's fine," answered Onyx, "I need it as a reference, not a collectible." She opened it and glanced through several pages. On the back cover was a pocket where a map had been, but it was missing.

"No map?" asked the dark girl, glancing at the other.

"You said at the time it didn't matter," said Tanzanite, "So I got you the cheapest copy in the best shape I could."

"Oh, right, forgot I said that. Sorry," said Onyx, closing the book and getting her wallet.

"That's okay. But I did some checking, and found a hi-res scan of it on the trollnet. Here's the address," said the clerk, handing Onyx a piece of paper.

"Oh, wow, that's like, above and beyond," she said, taking it. She slipped it into the pocket.

Tanzanite grinned. "I've got a degree in library studies. Nice to be able to use it once in a while." She leaned over the counter and stage-whispered conspiratorially, "Besides, helping a valued customer who's famous can only help me in the future."

Onyx blinked. "Me? Famous? Where did that come from?"

Tanzanite pulled out a magazine and opened it to the last article Onyx had written. "I really liked what you said in this one."

"Okay, thanks... but I don't think that qualifies me as famous. Don't want fame, anyway."

I ve heard comments from others that they like your works. You keep writing like this, and it will find you whether you want it or not," she warned.

Onyx shook her head. "I doubt it, but thanks. See ya."

With the transaction was concluded, Onyx took the book over to a table. She still had about an hour before she had to head for the mall.

She found the section on King Trollomagne, whom she had been told Ruby was a direct descendant of, and started reading. It was really strange to think that the Ancients had known these kings and queens who these days were just words and pictures in books. Just went to prove how old they really were.

She could see from the book that she would need to download that map. The text frequently referred to it.

When she next checked her watch she saw the hour was up. She had to go before it got any later. Waving goodbye at her friend Tanzanite, Onyx went out to her skoot and headed for the mall.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Sapphire Trollzawa sat in the library of Trollane University, whose campus was just outside the Trollzopolis city limits. She was going through a catalog, trying to decide on a major.

She had decided to become a research scientist, and later teach. The problem was that she wasn't interested in any particular thing, she was interested in EVERYTHING! She had always maintained an "A" average in high school, despite the distractions of having to learn magic on her own time as well as in class, and the occasional crisis she and the rest of the BFFL had faced.

She turned a page, and the answer slapped her in the face. "General Specialist"! The perfect major for her! Most people chose a specialty to work in for life, but it had long been recognized that some simply did not fit the mold and were far more valuable as a "troll of all trades, master of none".

She opened a pad of paper and started making notes about what was required, and was pleased to see that the extra courses she had taken in high school made her easily qualified.

Then she looked over the list of courses she would have to take. Oh... that wasn't so easy...

Her spell phone vibrated against her hip, and she pulled it out on the second ring. It was Ruby.

"Hey, Ruby, what's up?" Sapphire asked, going back to looking at the list of courses.

"We're having a meeting here at seven. I don't know what it's about, but all of our Ancients will be here for it," said the redhead.

"Mmmm..." answered Sapphire.

"Saph, did you hear me?" asked Ruby, looking annoyed.

"Uh...I..." was the distracted answer.

"SAPH!" said Ruby in a loud voice, prompting dirty looks from the few other trolls in the room.

"Ruby, shh! I'm in the Trollane library!" said Sapphire in a hushed voice, looking at the small screen.

"Well, did you hear what I said?" asked Ruby, lowering her voice just a bit.

"Meeting at Obsidian's tonight at seven. The Ancients will be there, but you don't know the subject," she answered without hesitation.

"Uh... right..." said Ruby.

Sapphire gave her a smug look.

Ruby shook her head. "You really scare me, sometimes. See you tonight." And she hung up.

Sapphire grinned to herself. She had always prided herself on her excellent memory.

"Hello, Amethyst," said a familiar voice. She looked up to find Mr. Trollheimer standing there.

"Oh, hi!" she said, sitting back in surprise.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

She gestured at the chair opposite, and he sat down. "Well, any luck on finding a major?"

"As a matter of fact, I have. I'm going for General Specialist," she answered, "If me and the others are going to help you and the other Ancients with trouble, it would be a good idea to have someone who knows at least a little about a lot."

He nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. I had that position myself, and know how useful it can be. But of course back then there weren't any degrees in it. In fact it hadn't even been defined."

"According to the catalog, the courses will teach abstract thinking and problem solving, along with learning to use all kinds of scientific instruments," she said.

"Mmm... what about magic?" he asked.

She looked at the degree description. "Learning the system of magic for trolls, goblins, ogres, and other beings, creative spellcasting, correspondences... wow, this is going to be a lot of work."

"I'd imagine so. But I know you can do it!" he answered, "In all my years you're the smartest young troll I've ever met."

Sapphire blushed and lowered her eyes. Such praise from her Ancient was unusual. She decided to change the subject. "So, what's up with the meeting tonight?"

"Oh, you already knew about it?" he asked.

"Yeah, Ruby called a bit ago," she answered.

He glanced around, but nobody was paying them any attention. He hesitated, then shook his head. "Better not. This isn't a secure area, and we can be seen and heard. I will tell you it's very important."

"All right. But why are you here? Checking up on me?" she grinned to show she wasn't serious.

"No, I came by to catch up on the latest chemistry periodicals. I heard another step toward cold fusion has been made," he answered.

"Wow, I hope they can make it work. It would change the world," said Sapphire.

"Me too," he said, and stood up, putting his chair back under the table. "I'd better get going. See you tonight."

"Yes, sir!" she gave a wave and went back to the catalog.

bffl bffl bffl

After another hour she left the library to find her skoot where she had parked it. Like the others she had upgraded to a bigger, more adult model. She had really wanted a car, but Mr. Trollheimer had pointed out that a skoot wasn't confined to the paved roadways.

Heading back toward home, she watched traffic while thinking about going to college. Registration didn't start for another month, so she had plenty of time to pick her courses. She would, of course, consult with all of the Ancients first, to get their views of what would be the most useful.

Sudden activity on the sidewalk caught her attention. A troll stood there, obviously choking. A spilled bag of popcorn was on the ground by him. His female companion was slapping him on the back, but it wasn't doing any good. She was starting to panic, and the one choking was turning blue.

Sapphire quickly turned into the T-Mart parking lot and parked as close as possible to them. Pulling off her helmet she dropped it and ran over to them.

Pushing the woman out of the way she got behind him and performed the Trollnich Maneuver. Once... twice... third time was the charm, as he spit out a wad of popcorn and took a deep breath.

Sapphire let go and stood back, ready to catch him if he lost his balance. But there was no need. The woman with him took his arm and steadied him while he recovered.

"You okay now, sir?" Sapphire asked.

He turned to her. "Yeah, thanks!" He smiled, and the woman did as well.

"It was no problem. Glad to help!" she said. "Well, I need to get home, so stay well!"

She headed for her skoot, but was stopped by the woman.

"Thank you so much! You saved my husband's life!" she said. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up."

"Well," Sapphire said, thoughtfully, "If he eats a lot of popcorn, you might want to consider taking a class to learn the Trollnich."

"That's a great idea!" she said, "And he DOES eat a lot of popcorn. I've been worried for a while something like this might happen, and now I know what to do about it! Thank you again!"

Sapphire nodded and turned back to her ride.

On the way home she thought about what had happened, and decided she had made the right decision. Wanting to know everything about everything had led her to take classes on CPR, the Trollnich, and First Aid, and here she had saved a life!

bffl bffl bffl

Once home she found her parents there and updated them on her college plans and the popcorn incident. They were both very proud of her, and told her so several times.

Finally she had to tear away to get ready for the meeting.

In her room Ya-ya lay on the bed. He raised up to look at her, and she gave him a pat or two. He had been slowing down as he got older, and her mom had warned her she may not have many more years left. Intellectually she knew and accepted that, but the tiny chipmunk had been part of her life for so long she could hardly think of not having him around.

She got ready quickly, and headed for the mall. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Amethyst van der Troll was with her boyfriend Coal Trollwell as they walked down the broadway of the local amusement park. They had been there since it opened, riding practically everything several times. Now they were eating ice cream from cups and taking a rest.

They sat down on an empty bench, and enjoyed both the ice cream and companionship in silence. When they finished, Coal took their trash and tossed it in a nearby container, and turned his attention to his pink-haired girlfriend.

"Well, what do you want to do now?" he asked.

She thought for a few seconds, but just as she started to answer, her spell phone rang.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hey, girl, it's Ruby," was the reply.

"Oh, hey!" said Ame, turning the phone so she could see Ruby on the small screen.

"Oh, on your date with Coal, huh? Having fun yet?" asked Ruby with a grin.

Coal moved over so Ruby could see him. "You bet we are. We're at the amusement park, and just spent the day riding every ride."

"That's fine for you, but what about your girlfriend? Isn't her opinion important?" asked the redhead with mock seriousness.

Ame grinned behind her hand. "Yes, I'm having fun too." She cocked her head at Ruby. "You're jealous because you had to work."

"Hmmph!" said Ruby, closing her eyes and turning her head away. "Just for that, I won't tell you why I called."

Standard Ruby, trying to get her to apologize and beg to be told. Well, ain't happenin... "Okay, then. Bye!" She closed her phone with a snap and put it away.

Coal looked at her. "I can't believe you did that!"

"Why not? It's a game she likes to play, and I'm in too good a mood for it," was the answer.

The phone rang, and Ame pulled it out.

"Bet it's her," she said, and smiled at Coal. "Wonder what she'll say to that. I've never not played the game before."

Before she could flip it open, Coal stopped her. "I'd bet she's got a spell ready to get you, and she's got an entire store of them to choose from."

The phone rang again.

"Oops, I didn't think about that! What do I do?" she asked, staring at the phone like it was a snake about to strike.

He grabbed it and flipped it open. Ame turned away as a pink cloud covered him. When it settled, he was covered with silver glitter from head to foot.

Ame, eyes wide, took in the sight. Ruby's laughter could be heard.

Ame took the phone back. "Missed me!"

Ruby was surprised, but recovered quickly. "What makes you so sure you were the target? I figured he would answer it for you."

Ame rolled her eyes. "Whatever. How long?" She watched as Coal tried to brush it off, to no effect. Passerby were giving him odd looks.

"Oh, a couple of minutes. It was just a novelty bead," was the answer.

"So what did you want, anyway?" asked the pink haired girl.

"There's a meeting of everyone here tonight at seven. All the Ancients are going to attend, so it must be important," said Ruby.

"Sounds like. I'll be there. Anything else?" asked Ame.

"Nah. See ya then!" and the call ended.

"A meeting with everyone, huh? Guess we don't get to go to dinner tonight," said Coal.

Ame shook her head. "Sorry, you know I would, but..."

"I know, this is more important," he interrupted. Just then the glitter sparkled and faded away. "S'what I get for having a girlfriend who's involved with world-saving stuff."

"Hey, you've been involved too!" she protested, "Remember when Simon turned us evil? You saved me from the well and from being his slave. You and Rock saved Trollzopolis!"

"Maybe, but we really didn't know what we were doing," he answered.

"Rock especially," Ame added, to Coal's grin of agreement, "But you both came through for everyone, and that's the most important thing."

They sat in silence for a minute, listening to the sounds of the park and watching the other trolls enjoying the day.

"Thanks for taking that call for me," said Ame.

"Ah, no prob. Better me than you," he said.

Ame giggled and took his hand.

A bit later they headed on, still holding hands. A few older couples smiled at them.

"We still have a couple of hours," said Coal, looking at his watch, "What do you want to do?"

She pointed. "Let's go back into the Hall of Mirrors! I want to see that one in the far corner again!"

He rolled his eyes, but followed her back into the exhibit. All of the mirrors distorted the reflection of any troll who stood in front of it, and some of them were absolutely hilarious. Ame thought maybe Saph could have explained the science behind them.

The mirror in question made her hair look like it was bent back over beside her and trailing on the ground. For some reason she found this to be hysterically funny.

"What's so funny about this one?" asked Coal, scratching his head.

"I- I don't know!" said Ame, tears rolling down her cheeks, "But for some reason it cracks me up! HA HA HA!"

Coal shook his head. He guessed it was funny enough, but some of the others appealed to him more. He looked over at one that made his reflection have an hourglass figure. Now THAT was funny! He laughed and pointed.

When she heard her boyfriend laughing, Ame looked in his direction. But it was hard to see with tears in her eyes. She wiped at them and saw he wasn't even looking at this mirror, but at another!

The one he was looking at WAS funny, but not like this one! She glanced back and had a fit of giggles.

Recovering (somewhat) she wiped her eyes and looked away. Another mirror that just made you look tall was there, and she caught a glimpse of something moving in it.

"Huh?" she said, looking a bit more closely. There was nothing but the reflections of the two of them now, but she could have sworn there had been a third figure in it. A familiar figure. But that was impossible... wasn't it?

She shook her head. Nah, couldn't have been... they were the only ones in the room. Must have been seeing things, the tears had made it happen.

Satisfied with the explanation, she looked back at the mirror she found so funny and exploded in mirth again.

bffl bffl bffl

Coal dropped Amethyst off at home about four that afternoon. Inside she found her grandmother, who was her Ancient, watching the early news.

"There is still no contact with the town of Trollenburg," said the newscaster, "All phone lines have been cut off, and officers sent to investigate have neither returned or reported back."

"Wow, what happened, I wonder?" Ame said, standing beside the chair her grandmother was sitting in.

"Oh, it's probably nothing, just a power failure or something," Grandma answered, turning off the TV. I need to get ready. Can I catch a ride with you to the meeting, dear?"

"Oh, sure..." was the reply, "Can you tell me what this is about?"

"No, I really can't. But don't be impatient, you'll find out soon enough," was the answer.

Ame's shoulders slumped. "Okay, if you say so."

"Just trust me, dear," said the old woman, and headed for her room. Ame watched her go, then went to her own room.

bffl bffl bffl

It was around six when they were ready, and they joined Ame's parents for dinner. Finally they headed out to Ame's skoot and headed for the mall. They were lucky enough to have gotten past an accident on the way that would undoubtably tie up traffic.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

At 6:45, Sapphire, Onyx, Amethyst and her grandma appeared at the door to Obsidian's Spellz. Ruby, of course, was already there. And Topaz had gotten off just at the half hour, so she was inside as well.

Of the Ancients, only Obsidian and Mr. Trollheimer were there. Zirconia had called and reported she and Spinell might be a few minutes late; there was a traffic accident holding them up.

While they waited, Sapphire told Mr. Trollheimer what she had learned about the field she was going into. She also said she was planning on teaching when she retired from doing the Magic of the Five. That pleased him to no end.

Finally the married couple of Ancients arrived. Ruby locked the door behind them and made sure the 'closed' sign was up.

"While I'm thinking about it," said Onyx, "I want to do an interview with all of you Ancients sometime soon."

"What for, dear?" asked Zirconia.

"You've all had long, eventful lives, and now that you're pretty much retired those stories should be told."

"Hmm..." said Obsidian, "I wouldn't mind."

"I was thinking that the interviews would lead to a book, or series of books," Onyx added.

"Fame was never our goal," objected Trollheimer.

"Aye, but it is history," said Spinell, "And history should be preserved."

"But we do!" put in Zirconia, "Each of us kept a diary of our activities when we did magic."

"Uh, make that a 'journal'," said Trollheimer, and Spinell nodded in support.

"Journal, diary, same difference," said Zirconia crossing her arms and looking annoyed.

The BFFL looked at each other and smiled. It was obvious that this was a long standing argument. It was also proof their Ancients were ordinary trolls with all the likes and dislikes that came with life.

"Let's go upstairs," said Obsidian, and everyone followed her. "I renewed the privacy spell on the building, so we won't be spied on."

Once everyone was in the spell bead room, she wasted no time.

"You've heard about the loss of communication with Trollenberg?" she asked.

"I did," said Amethyst.

The other four girls shook their heads while the Ancients nodded.

"We... think Simon might be responsible," said Trollheimer.

"SIMON!" said the BFFL, surprised.

"Yes," said Obsidian, "I'm afraid your spell to banish him on Trollhiti wasn't as strong as it should have been. After all, you were using spell beads instead of direct magic."

"If it is him, then the banishing spell lasted for four years out of a stated thousand," said Saph, thoughtfully, then her face fell. "That's only a point zero four percent success rate."

"Correct. But you were still new to magic then, and using spell beads. By their nature they are not as powerful as direct magic," said Obsidian.

"You'll do better as time passes," said Spinell, "As you get older, your personal magic grows stronger, and your gem will become even more attuned to you."

"Oh, it's like a TrollPod too?" asked Topaz, "It plays music?"

Everyone looked at the blond ditz.

"All she heard was 'a-tuned', said Amethyst with a sour look.

Spinell looked to Zirconia to straighten out her apprentice.

"No, dear," she said, "Not normally. But I do know a spell that will allow the playback of any sounds made in a room from the previous hour."

"Oh," said Topaz, "So... that means I can play a song I heard on the radio again without having to call them!" she giggled.

"That's how I used it!" said Zirconia, "Amazing how we think alike!"

There was a lot of eye rolling and head shaking.

"That might actually be useful," said Trollheimer.

"I'll have to check my inventory, but I might have a few of those," put in Obsidian. "If not, I can make some."

"So, what do you want us to do?" asked Onyx, as usual coming directly to the point.

"You'll have to go to Trollenberg and confront him," answered Trollheimer.

'Man this is annoying," said Ruby, "No matter how many times we send him back to the Shadow World, he always finds a way out."

"Back in the day he used to be very strong. And you know that the original spell we used and you recreated won't work again," said Spinell.

"One of the basic tenets of magic," added Obsidian, "Each use of a given spell makes it weaker, and no spell will work on the same thing the third time."

"If it's any consolation, that trophy you destroyed was one of the last talismans he could draw on as a magic source. He'll be forced to use stolen magic from now on," said Trollheimer.

"Well, that's a good thing," said Onyx in her monotone.

"What do you think he's doing in Trollenberg?" asked Ruby.

"The odds favor an attempt for power," answered Sapphire, "That's what he always wants."

"True," said Trollheimer, "One thing you can say for him, he's consistent."

"You girls will have to be very careful. Most likely this is a trap for you," said Grandma.

"Just us?" asked Onyx, "What about you five?"

"We're staying here, to protect Trollzopolis in case you fail," said Zirconia.

Spinell winced. Sometimes his wife's bluntness was embarrassing.

"But that won't happen. I have a lot of faith in you," added Grandma.

The girls smiled at that.

"Of course we won't fail!" said Ruby with determination, "We've beaten him before, we can do it again!"

"But how?" asked Onyx, "We already know the spells we've used won't work again."

The old woman smiled. "I started working on a solution the minute I heard you had banished him again." She went over to a covered jar, and poured something into her hand.

"These are the original method in spell bead form," she told them. The five beads were half again as big as a normal bead, and shiny green. "You'll have to use a different incantation, of course."

Each of the girls took one and examined it.

"So this gives us five chances to take him out," said Onyx.

"Well, yes, if it's necessary to do it that way," said Obsidian, "But ideally they should be cast together. Only then would it be permanent."

"So we all need to draw a bead on him at the same time," said Topaz with a giggle.

"Ouch," said Ruby, and everyone else winced.

"Knock off the jokes, Trollhopper," said Onyx, "This is important."

Topaz looked confused. "Joke? What joke?"

"We'll explain it to you later," said Amethyst.

"Okay, just don't forget," answered Topaz with a smile.

"If we have to cast an individual bead, how long will it last?" asked Sapphire.

Obsidian shrugged. "Depends on the strength of the caster. But likely longer than the lifetime of any troll living now."

The blue-haired, freckled troll girl nodded and put the bead away. The others followed suit.

"When do we leave for Trollenberg?" asked Onyx.

"Tomorrow morning will be soon enough," answered Trollheimer, "Knowing Simon, he'll want to get his opponents out of the way or under his control as a second step."

"It's a five hour trip," said Ruby, "So we'd better get some food and sleep tonight. Going to be a long day tomorrow."

"You know," said Amethyst, "While Coal and I were in the House of Mirrors at the amusement park, I thought I saw a figure in one of the mirrors that wasn't either of us. But when I tried to get a better look, it was gone. By the height of it, it COULD have been Simon."

"I'd better check," said Obsidian. She went to Ame and passed her hands around her several times, muttering under her breath.

"It was him," she said at last, "Your aura seems to have an extra... layer, for want of a better word, that clashes with your normal one."

"What for?" asked Onyx.

"Essentially he tagged her, so he could detect her movements," answered the old woman.

"Oh, no!" said Topaz, "I don't want Amethyst to clash!"

"I'll take care of it, dear," said Zirconia. She brought out a spell bead. "When auras clash, it means there's trash! Remove the hue that's Simon's due!" She threw it at the girl, and after a few moments the magical dust disappeared.

Obsidian performed a second examination. "Good job, Z. She's clean now."

"Thank you, Zirconia," said Amethyst, "You too, Obsidian."

"You're welcome, dear, and like someone said, it's time for food and rest," was the answer.

There was general agreement with that, and the meeting broke up after agreeing to leave from Onyx's house early tomorrow morning.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Four skoots hovered in front of Onyx's house, waiting for her to start hers and join them.

"Come on, Onyx," called Ruby, impatiently, "We've got a long trip ahead, and it's not getting any earlier."

"Hold your ogres, Trollman," said Onyx, "I've got something for everybody first." She held up a plastic bag.

At that they turned off their respective rides and joined their friend.

"What is it?" asked Topaz, almost bouncing, "I love presents!"

The dark girl gave each of them a book with the cloth cover in their favorite color.

"Oh, a book! I hope it's about fashion!" she opened it. "Hey, Onyx, you got ripped off!"

Onyx raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"There aren't any words or pictures!" was the answer.

"That's because it's a diary," said Amethyst.

"Journal," corrected Sapphire, putting on her glasses.

"Whatever," said Ame, rolling her eyes.

Ruby snickered. "Looks like that argument is going into the next generation."

"But I'm confused," said Topaz, "Why do I want a book with nothing in it?"

"So you can write your own things in it," explained Saph.

"You can write things in books?" asked Topaz, surprised, "I thought that's what computers were for."

"I got the idea last night," said Onyx, "Keeping a record of what we do is a good idea. And a book makes sure it's kept private."

"But I don't know what to write!" protested Topaz.

"Talk to Zirconia, she probably has an idea of how you can do it," said Amethyst.

"I'll do that," nodded the blond.

"I've been keeping a record all along," said Sapphire, "I started when we did our first spells four years ago."

Onyx pursed her lips. "Are you keeping it on your desktop?"

"Yeah, why?" was the answer.

"Computers can be hacked, or invaded. I strongly suggest you move the files over to the book," she answered.

"I've got the files magically encrypted, but you're probably right. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways," said the blue haired girl.

"Thanks, Onyx, this is a good idea," said Ruby, "But we're wasting time. We need to go, like, now."

"One thing, first," said Topaz, "Onyx, do you mind if I...?"

"You know where it is," was the answer, and the other girl disappeared into the house.

When Topaz came back out, Ruby was tapping her foot impatiently. "Okay, let's go!"

"Did everyone bring the you-know-what?" asked Sapphire.

Topaz looked confused until everybody flashed the special spell beads they were given. Then she grinned and held hers out. Just before they left the meeting, Obsidian had also supplied each of them with a bag of beads she had picked out especially for this mission.

"Guess we're ready, then," said Amethyst, and they headed for their skoots.

bffl bffl bffl

Around noon they stopped at a roadside picnic area for lunch. Except for themselves, it was vacant. Birds were singing in the trees, and it was pleasantly warm. The sun was high in a bright blue sky.

"This is really nice," said Amethyst, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Hey, remember when we were going home from a field trip and almost got eaten by ghost dogs?" asked Onyx. "It was on this road."

"Oh, yeah, they were soooo gross!" said Topaz.

"Not to mention hungry with big teeth," added Onyx.

"But we showed 'em! Me and Rock held them off!" said Ruby, taking a drink of Trolla-cola.

"But it was Flint that got rid of them," said Onyx.

Ruby looked annoyed. "And he wouldn't have if we hadn't bought enough time for him to get ready!"

"Are you claiming to be the big hero?" asked Onyx, narrowing her blue eyes at the redhead.

"Guys..." said Amethyst.

"Well of course! I held them off! Without me..." said Ruby, turning away and crossing her arms and closing her eyes. She tilted her head up.

"Guys!" said Ame, in a louder voice.

"What the rest of us did was just as important!" Sapphire interjected.

Topaz sat, munching her sandwich, looking from one speaker to the other, and trying to keep up.

"Oh, please! All you and Alabaster did was fool around with the engine!" said Ruby.

"Well, if that's how you feel, you can just go to a garage and pay for your next tune-up!" retorted Saph, sitting back. "I'll be busy."

That shocked Ruby, since she hadn't thought that far ahead. She turned back. "But..."

"I don't want to hear it!" shouted Sapphire, hitting the table with her fist. "You always diss anyone who works in the background, like they aren't important, and I'm tired of it!"

"GUYS!" yelled Ame.

"WHAT?" yelled Saph and Ruby in sync turning their attention to her.

Amethyst looked at her friends. "What are you doing?"

"Setting the record straight!" said Ruby.

"Distorting it further, more like!" retorted Saph.

"Let me get this straight," said Onyx, "We're heading for a major confrontation, and you're fighting each other?"

"Haven't we been through this before?" put in Topaz, opening her dessert.

The other four stopped and looked at her. As usual in her direct, guileless way, she hit the heart of the situation.

Maybe you-know-who did more than just tag your aura, Ame," said Onyx.

"Let me check," said Sapphire. She pulled out a spell bead.

"What's going on here we can't tell, so use this magic to search for a spell!"

She tossed it at Amethyst, and when the dust cleared there was a bright red aura around her.

"Yep, something's up," said Onyx.

Topaz looked at the sight with a critical eye. "That would be so perfect for attracting attention, if it weren't evil."

"That's a great idea! A spell to make a person be surrounded by colors!" said Ruby.

The blond looked up from her food. "Yeah! A fashion accessory!"

"Can somebody do something?" Amethyst interjected. "Like, now?"

"Just hold your ogres!" said Ruby.

"Yeah, we're brainstorming here!" said Topaz, with some heat.

"If it's affecting Topaz, it must be strong," Sapphire commented, and brought out another bead.

"Break the spell around our friend, so the fighting's at an end!"

She tossed it, and the red faded away.

"Thanks, Saph," said Ame.

"Good job," said Onyx, "I think we'd better head on. It's still another hour's drive."

"At least this time the arguing wasn't my fault," muttered Ruby, but was ignored.

A few minutes later were on the road again.

bffl bffl bffl

There was a strange feeling in the air as they crossed the city limits line and entered the modern section of Trollenberg.

The five skoots rode slowly along, the drivers looking around as they did. There was nobody out at all. Not even any animals could be seen, and it was eerily quiet. Cars were parked, the streets empty of traffic.

"Wonder where everybody is?" Sapphire wondered aloud.

"Not so sure I want to know," said Onyx, "This is majorly creepy."

"At least there's plenty of parking!" giggled Topaz.

"On task, Topaz," said Ruby, "Watch for anybody at all."

They continued on, but found nobody. They cruised up and down streets, occasionally calling out. Nothing. As they did, a feeling of being watched slowly grew on them.

Finally they stopped at an intersection and ignored the traffic lights to talk.

"I keep feeling somebody watching me, and I don't think it's because of my clothes," complained Topaz.

Amethyst nodded in agreement. "Me too."

"We're probably going to be attacked and killed when we least expect it," said Onyx.

"I hope not, I've got the early shift tomorrow," said Topaz.

"Where can everybody be?" said Ruby, looking up and down the cross street.

"Let's find out. We're just wasting time," said Onyx. She brought out a spell bead and threw it in the middle of the intersection.

"Trolls are missing by the pound, show us now where they'll be found."

The dust swirled around and condensed into a sign pointing to the left.

"That way," said Ruby, unnecessarily, "Let's go!"

Five skoots turned the corner, according to a sign heading toward the historical district. Behind them the magic faded away. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

A few minutes ride found them at a familiar place, the museum of history they had visited as a class field trip four years earlier. Except for a complete absence of anyone, it looked the same as it had. The road they were on ended with the parking lot, so there was nowhere to go.

"Okay, we're here, but there still isn't anybody!" complained Topaz, "I'm getting seriously creeped out here!"

"Me too. I like solitude, but this is ridiculous," added Onyx.

"Maybe we should..." began Amethyst, but was interrupted.

"There's somebody!" said Topaz, pointing. The relief in her voice was very evident. "Oh, there's more than one!"

They looked, and trolls were filing out of the museum. Movement caught their eye, and they saw more trolls coming out of the surrounding buildings.

"Whew!" said Sapphire, "That's a relief! Now maybe we can find out what's going on."

"I... wouldn't count on it," answered Onyx, "Don't you notice something strange? As in... they're acting weird and nobody is saying anything?"

Sure enough, the crowd was silent, but everyone was looking at them, and moving in their direction.

"Guys, I'm not liking this..." said Ruby.

"Maybe we should leave," said Onyx, "I'm getting a hostile vibe."

"Uh oh! I think your instinct is right! We're surrounded!" said Amethyst.

Sure enough, the people had gathered around them, cutting off any escape, and continued to close in.

"I hope Flint isn't here..." thought Onyx, looking for her boyfriend.

"What do we do?" asked Amethyst, "We'll hurt someone if we try to go through them!"

"No, we won't," answered Sapphire, "Remember I installed high-end power plants in everyone's skoot! We can get enough lift to go over them! Adjust your height control to Max!"

Just as they reached for the control, their vehicles suddenly powered down and landed with a bump.

"Or not..." muttered Topaz, undoing her seat belt and getting out.

"What happened?" asked Amethyst.

Sapphire, still in her skoot, checked some gauges. "Looks like the power's been drained. We're stuck." She reached for her own seat belt. She stepped over to the other girls, who were watching the approaching trolls anxiously.

Laughter rang out around them, and they looked around for the source, but had no luck.

"I'm glad somebody finds this funny, because I don't!" protested the amber-eyed blond.

"All right, we're prepared for this!" said Ruby, looking around, "Freezing spell, now! Pick a section." They each pulled a spell bead from a bracelet, and held them up.

"The day is pleasant, with a breeze, so they can see it, all trolls freeze!" they chanted together and threw their beads.

A huge swirl of magic found all the surrounding trolls immobile, caught in ice.

"That should cool them off for a bit," smirked Onyx.

"Missed me!" said a familiar voice, and they all turned toward it.

Stepping out from between frozen trolls was Simon and Snarf. The 3000-plus year old gremlin boy was dressed in his usual blue school uniform and cap with the red bow tie. He had a nasty grin on his face.

Snarf looked the same as well, a small, red and black swamp mutt with huge black eyes. He looked harmless and friendly, but that was a deception they had learned about years ago.

"Simon! Snarf!" they said in unison.

"We thought so," added Sapphire.

"As you were supposed to," answered Simon, "And you didn't disappoint!"

"But we got rid of you!" said Topaz, "How are you here now?"

"Oh, you did send me back to the Shadow Realm, but your spell said a thousand years and the beads couldn't work for that long. All I had to do was wait; I knew they would fail sooner or later. It proved to be sooner."

"What's going on here?" asked Ruby, "Why is everyone a zombie? What are you going to do with them?"

"Nothing," answered the gremlin.

"Nothing?" asked Onyx, crossing her arms.

Simon shook his head. "Nothing. I'm not even going to unfreeze them. They served their purpose."

"Which was...?" asked Amethyst.

"...to lure us here," finished Onyx.

"Exactly!" confirmed Simon, and Snarf giggled. "I'm going to get my revenge on the five of you before I go and take over Trollzopolis!"

"Same old, same old," said Onyx, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe, but there is something to be said for being consistent!" answered Simon. "And power is all I've ever wanted! You know that!"

"True," conceded the dark troll-girl, "Which makes it easy to plan for your next appearance."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" asked Simon, giving them a skeptical look.

The BFFL brought out the special spell beads and held them up. Simon and Snarf's eyes grew wide. "Wh- what are those?"

"These WILL last a thousand years!" answered Sapphire, "Made by Obsidian especially for you!"

"NO!" shouted Simon, "Snarf, hand me the countermeasure, quick!" He held out his hand to his servant/pet.

Snarf patted himself down. "Uh... I don't seem to have brought it with me, boss!" he said.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" yelled the outraged gremlin boy.

"I didn't know you were going to confront them yet! You said you wanted to play first!" Snarf answered, getting scared.

"You stupid, incompetent...!" Simon kicked Snarf, hard.

The swamp mutt flew through the air, his flight stopping when he hit a tree with an 'oof!". He slid down to the ground, stunned.

"Awww, that was mean!" yelled Topaz.

"Well, yeah, what did you think I was going to do, reward him for failing me yet again?" said Simon, turning back to his enemies.

"But you didn't have to kick him!" protested Topaz.

"Aw, shut up!" retorted Simon, "I'll treat my slave the way I want to!"

Behind him, Snarf sat up and shook his head. He heard that last comment, and deep inside, something snapped. He started growing, becoming the giant, clawed and toothed monster that was his other form. The girls saw it, but Simon didn't. The tree he was leaning against fell over from the weight of the monster.

"THAT IS IT!" yelled Snarf, "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!"

Simon looked back. "What are you..." he was suddenly slammed into the ground with a huge paw on top of him. "AAAAGHHHH!"

"FOR THREE THOUSAND YEARS I'VE DONE EVERYTHING YOU EVER ASKED OF ME, AND RARELY GOT EVEN A GOOD WORD IN RETURN!" He ground his paw, twisting Simon into the ground. The sound of breaking bones was clearly audible, and the girls cringed.

"St- stop it!" said Simon, "You can't do this!"

"WANNA BET?" the monster leaned over his ex-master, looking him in the eyes. "IT ENDS NOW!"

He picked up Simon, who was screaming, and proceeded to bite his head off. Then as the BFFL turned away, he tossed the rest of the body into his maw and chewed.

The five troll-girls threw up when Snarf swallowed and made a satisfied 'sigh'. "FREE AT LAST!"

He sat there, off in his own little world as the girls recovered.

"Snarf, I can't believe you did that!" said Ruby at last.

He looked over at them. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT ABUSE I'VE PUT UP WITH. IT DIDN'T MATTER HOW WELL I DID, HOW OBEDIENT I WAS, HOW HUMBLE AND SUBMISSIVE, IT WAS NEVER ENOUGH. NOW I'M FREE OF HIM!" He gave a loud burp.

"Ewww... major dog breath!" protested Topaz, holding her nose. The others did the same.

"YOU KNOW, I JUST REALIZED..." Snarf continued, getting to his feet, "I'M STILL HUNGRY!" He turned toward them and got ready to spring.

With a gasp, the trolls held up the banishment beads and got ready to use them.

Snarf gathered himself to jump, but stopped when a peculiar expression appeared on his face. "HUH? WHAT'S GOING ON?"

suddenly beams of green light broke through his fur all over his body, growing brighter as seconds passed. "OH, THIS ISN'T GOOD..." he said, looking at his belly.

The light continued to brighten and appear from more places on his body. As it did, the swamp mutt became less and less visible.

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" shouted Ruby, and they hit the pavement, covering their heads.

"M-MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING I ATE..." said Snarf, and he suddenly exploded, throwing chunks of meat all over the parking lot and buildings. Fortunately, none of it hit the girls, but their skoots took some punishment.

"Is everyone okay?" asked Sapphire as they stood up.

They gave her answers in several forms of 'yes' as they looked around at the aftermath.

The area was full of frozen trolls, many of whom were covered with swamp dog meat. The explosion had knocked over or destroyed several trees, and buildings had lost windows.

"Ugh, what a mess..." said Ruby.

"Ya think?" deadpanned Onyx. "Let's unfreeze these trolls. There's a lot of clean up to do."

"Guys, we've got another problem..." said Amethyst.

They all looked where she was pointing. Topaz lay still on the ground, eyes closed. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"TOPAZ!" the other BFFL shouted in unison, and converged on her.

Ruby knelt and put the blonde s head in her lap. "Is she okay?"

Sapphire picked up her arm and felt for a pulse. "She's alive. That's as much as I can say right now."

There was a collective sigh of relief.

Just then Topaz moved. Her eyes fluttered open, and with a groan sat up.

"You're okay!" said Ruby.

"No, I'm not," replied the amber-eyed girl, "That was the most horrible thing I've ever seen in my entire life!" She huddled into herself and tears sprang from her eyes.

"It was gruesome," agreed Onyx, "But in the end I agree with Snarf. We saw Simon abuse him. We know the horrible things he did through history, to our Ancients, and to us. Simon got what he deserved and will never be a threat again."

The dark troll-girl smiled at her friends, who were staring at her. "And the best part is that our hands are clean."

"I guess..." said Sapphire, nodding, "It's probably best if we think of it that way, too."

Topaz stood up and shivered, eyes closed and crying.

"Tope?" asked Ame, putting an arm around her shoulders.

The blond raised her head and looked at her friends. All of them could tell something had changed. Topaz had lost a little of her innocence, and would never be the same again.

bffl bffl bffl

The population was freed from Simon's spell when he died, and from the freezing spell an hour later. Communications with the rest of the world was reestablished. It would take weeks for Trollenberg to fully recover, but the majority of the mess was cleaned up within a couple of days.

The girls called their parents and Ancients to let them know they were okay. As it happened, Flint was with the crowd, but had just barely made it outside the building before the freezing spell hit. He and Onyx had a quick reunion, but then he and the band had to leave; they were late for a concert in Trolladelphia.

The next day they met with Trollenburg's Mayor. She wanted a public ceremony to honor them, and was surprised when they said thanks but no thanks.

"We're apprenticed to the five Ancients," Amethyst explained to her, "And they've always kept a low profile. We feel we should do the same."

"Speak for yourself," muttered Ruby.

Amethyst put her hands on Ruby's shoulders from the back. "Come on, Ruby, you know it's better this way."

"What's wrong with wanting a little fame?" asked Ruby, turning to her.

"Nothing," answered Sapphire, "But it should be for something other than this kind of work."

That stopped the redhead in her tracks. Her desire to be in the spotlight was strong, but Saph had raised a good point. There were other ways of being famous. "All right, I agree. We probably will be more effective if we aren't well known."

"I don't want to be in the spotlight anyway," said Onyx.

"Topaz, what do you think?" asked Ruby, turning to her.

"I don't care, as long as we don't fight about it," she answered, "Look what happened when Simon and Snarf fought." The tears appeared again.

The other four surrounded the blond, giving her a group hug.

"We won't fight, Tope," said Ruby, "We promise."

So in the end they were honored with plaques in the Mayor's office, the City Council also in attendance.

bffl bffl bffl

They stayed in the ancient town for two more days, mostly out of worry for Topaz. She had been pretty much silent and kept to herself since the incident, speaking only when spoken to. They all felt she was too distracted for the drive home. Ruby tried to make a joke of it, asking if she was taking lessons in being antisocial from Onyx, but it fell flat. Topaz only stared at her and went back to her hotel room.

"I was just trying to make her laugh," said Ruby, upset.

"We know, Ruby. It was a good try, too," said Amethyst. "This really hit her hard. I feel so bad for her."

"Me too," agreed Sapphire, "What can we do to help?"

"Just be there for her," answered Onyx, "We can help just so much. She has to come to terms with it on her own."

"What if we never get her back?" asked Ruby, even more upset.

"I don't think there's much chance of that. Focusing on one thing for a long time is hard for her," said Onyx. "She'll be her old self before we know it."

Indeed that seemed to be the case. After a night's sleep, the blond ditz seemed to have bounced back to her old self. But those who knew her well could tell a little of the light in her eyes was gone.

The ride back to Trollzopolis was quiet. They all discreetly watched Topaz, but nothing happened, and she told them several times she was fine.

They each arrived home to the welcoming arms of their families. Plaques were admired, and, while expressing concern for the danger they had been in, their parents told them they were very proud.

bffl bffl bffl

The next evening they met at Obsidian's Spellz with their Ancients. They told the whole story, which made Topaz turn a bit green with the reminder.

The Ancients looked at each other.

"I never thought I'd be able to say this, but the nightmare is over," said Trollheimer.

"Yes, at long, long last," agreed Obsidian.

"Aye," said Spinell.

"It's such a relief," commented Zirconia.

"Simon is gone. I can hardly believe it," said Grandma van der Troll, sitting down. "Thank you, girls. Now we can rest."

The BFFL exchanged glances.

"What are you talking about, Grandma?" asked Amethyst.

She started to answer, but was interrupted.

"Some of us may not look it, but we are very old, and very tired," said Trollheimer, "The only reason we've stayed this long was to keep Simon at bay until we establish the next Magic of the Five."

"Aye," said Spinell, "But you've gone a step further, and taken him out of the equation. There's nothing holding us here now."

"But... you sound like you're saying..." said Amethyst, tears springing up.

"Yes, dear," said Obsidian, "We are finally able to take our last journey. You're adults now, and have grown into your magic powers. You are our successors."

"What are we talking about?" asked Topaz, completely lost.

"Our Ancients are leaving us," answered Sapphire, wiping at her eyes.

Onyx crossed her arms and turned away. "Figures," she muttered. But the tears were there.

"Where are they going? Back to Trollhiti?" asked the blond ditz. "That'll be great! Then we can come visit again!"

Zirconia went over to her. "No, dear. Where we're going, you won't be able to visit." She took Topaz's hands in her own.

Topaz struggled to understand what she was being told. The Ancients were sad, but her friends were crying. In her mind she went over everything she had heard in the last few minutes. Finally it clicked.

In the last few years they had all gained an adult troll's height, so they could look their Ancient straight in the eye on the same level.

She looked at Zirconia. "So you're saying... you're going to DIE?"

"Yes, dear, we've earned our rest, and welcome it," the old woman answered.

Topaz stared at her, then yanked her hands back. "I HATE YOU!" she screamed, and ran out of the store.

"Oh, dear, that could have gone better," said Zirconia.

"It was probably too soon," agreed Obsidian. "You girls better find her."

"But... we want to know more! What's going to happen? When? What can we do?" said Amethyst.

"All your questions will be answered soon. For now, she needs you," answered Obsidian gesturing to where Topaz had gone.

As soon as the last of the BFFL had left the shop, Trollheimer turned to the others. "This was going to be hard no matter what we did or said."

"Aye," agreed Spinell.

"They'll miss us terribly, but they're young and strong. They'll get through it," said Grandma.

"And I've got some beads prepared to make it easier, just in case," said Obsidian.

Grandma shook her head. "No, don't use them. They should be allowed to go through this experience on their own. They will be stronger for it."

Reluctantly, Obsidian agreed.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Time passed, and things went back to normal. Topaz apologized to Zirconia, and they all talked with their Ancient about what was going to happen.

"It was hard for us too when our Ancients left," said Grandma, "But we kept going. We keep them in our hearts, and have always tried to do our best."

"Aye," said Spinell, "You're all young, and don't have much experience with life. It'll get better, you'll see."

"But we need you!" said Sapphire.

Trollheimer shook his head. "As friends and advisors, maybe. But you've learned what you need to know about the basics of magic. The rest will come with experience. And anyway you'll have access to our books and scrolls and notes."

"But what if-" said Topaz.

"What ifs may not come to be," interrupted Zirconia. "Face the future without fear. You can handle it."

"If you say so," answered the blond, "But I still don't like it."

Zirconia gave her apprentice a hug. "I understand, dear. I'll miss you, too."

Another month passed, and college started for Sapphire and Amethyst, while Ruby and Topaz worked. Onyx interviewed the Ancients, getting as much detail about their lives as she could. They were touched and flattered that she wanted to write a book about them.

"You've had long lives, working in the background to help everyone, and you deserve some recognition," she explained.

One day everyone met at the Trollzopolis Municipal Building, and the BFFL were introduced to the trolls who worked in the office of the Ancient Liaison, who had the responsibility of contacting the Ancients when they were needed.

The girls, of course, had had no idea any such thing existed. It was explained that governments elsewhere in the world also had this office, and kept in touch. Their responsibilities as the new Five were worldwide, including even the Ogre and Gremlin nations.

That visit had been an eye-opener, and they got their first real glimpse of just what they were taking on. Momentary doubt seized them, but after a lot of discussion and consulting with the Ancients, they decided to accept it.

They would live their lives as normally as they could, but would respond when needed. Their jobs and colleges were both accepting of this, and would make arrangements as needed.

bffl bffl bffl

Another month passed, during which time the Ancients made all the arrangements for themselves to leave society. Only Grandma van der Troll had any living family, and that made it hardest on her.

"When is this going to happen, Grandma?" asked Amethyst.

"I'm not sure, dear, but we'll know when the time is right," was the answer. "Be strong. Miss us, but don't grieve. We've all longed for rest, and now it's at hand."

"I'll try, but it's not easy," said Ame.

All of the girls had noticed that with Simon and Snarf out of the picture, the Ancients were slowing down physically. Even Trollheimer, who looked like he was in his late thirties, was growing older in appearance.

Onyx finally announced that the book deal had been made, and she would be the writer. She asked for, and got, a short piece from each Ancient for inclusion.

bffl bffl bffl

The day came when none of the Ancients could be found. Frantic phone calls got the girls together, and they looked in every place they could think of, to no avail.

The BFFL ran through the mall to Obsidian's shop. Ruby used her key to unlock the door and they all went inside quickly.

"Obsidian?" called Ruby, but got no answer.

"Saph, check the bead lab, see if she's there," said Ruby, pointing up the stairs.

The blue-haired girl ran up the steps without answering.

"There's no sign of her," said Amethyst, coming back from checking a storeroom.

"She's not up here," called Sapphire, and came back down.

"Now what?" asked Onyx.

Ruby stood and thought for a moment. "I know! The basement!" She drew out a spell bead, muttered an incantation and tossed it at the wall. A familiar wooden door appeared, glowing softly. It was the only way to get there, a security measure that Obsidian had set up to protect her secrets.

"Let's go!" Ruby shouted, and ran through to door, vanishing from sight as she did. The others followed.

They stood looking around. The room was still rather messy and dirty. Cobwebs were everywhere, and the air was chill and damp. Nobody greeted them.

"Darn," said Ruby, "And this was the last place I could think of she would be."

"Hey, what's this?" asked Topaz, going over to the wooden table near the back. On it lay a scroll and a plain wooden box.

"That wasn't here before," said Ruby, joining the others as they came over to see.

Sapphire picked up the scroll and opened it.

"This will be our greatest gift to you," she read, "When you open this box, you will be released from the spell that suppresses magic. Your level of magic will be permanently affected, and you will no longer have to rely on spell beads.  
Make sure that everyone is here before you do this.

There are bad times ahead, but we have great confidence in you all to get through them, protecting the trolls and other good beings. You all have wisdom beyond your years, and the knowledge to apply it. We are not afraid, and you should not be either.

We love you all. Goodbye."

Sapphire dropped the scroll and wiped her eyes. The others, even Onyx, did the same.

"So we're going to be able to use magic directly again? Cool," said Onyx.

"Yeah. I did like it when Simon gave us a boost that time," Said Ruby.

"But I didn't like the evil stuff we did," said Topaz, "I still get embarrassed when I think about it. We were rude, mean, and overbearing to everybody."

"But we were under Simon's influence. We didn't have a choice," said Sapphire.

"I know. But it was still a bad time," answered Topaz.

"I dunno," said Ruby, "As I remember, you had a lot of fun."

"But... I didn't want to have fun!" protested the blond.

"I'm just teasing, Tope," said Ruby. She went over to the box, put a hand on it, and turned to her friends. "Ready?"

They all exchanged a look. "Yes." they said in unison.

Ruby opened the box, and out flew five blobs of light in various colors. They hovered over the box, then one flew into each girl, who glowed softly for a few seconds, then returned to normal.

Topaz giggled. "That tickles!"

"Wow," said Sapphire, "I feel the magic so much stronger now!"

"Everyone, look at your gem!" said Amethyst.

They did so, and they were glowing brighter than they ever had before. Even Onyx made an enthusiastic exclamation.

They literally contemplated their navels for a few seconds, admiring their gem's new power.

"Guys," said Ruby, turning to the other BFFL, "You do realize that WE are the Ancients now."

Topaz' wail could be heard all over the mall; "But I'm too YOUNG to be an Ancient!"

The End

Author's Note: This was the first of at least four stories I have planned. I want to tie up loose ends from the series before sending the BFFL on new adventures.

Next: "Return to Trollhiti" Sapphire gets a letter from her friend Sandstone, raising concerns about the plans of an ogre terrorist group who are planning to seize the magic from the island and use it for their own ends. 


End file.
